Author's Note:Third Nodame x Chiaki oneshot…

Things you need to know before reading:
Senpai – a term for upperclassmen
Etto – Um…

Innocent Start

By: Higasa

"It's senpai-what's-his-name," Nodame said thoughtfully, as she looked at her popular upperclassmen who sat against the wall that was next to her apartment. "Etto…who was he again?" she muttered to herself, scratching her chin.

"Help…me," Shinichi Chiaki murmured as his breathing got heavy and sweat came out from his forehead. He had gone out for a drink with his ex-girlfriened, Saiko, and had come home but stayed outside of his apartment wanting to feel the breeze that came in.

"Oh!" Nodame exclaimed when she had heard him.

…

The sound. There was it again. Chiaki thought. His eyes were closed. He was standing in a meadow. Tall, green blades of grass blew in one direction as the breeze picked up. In the distance he could heard the same music that had been played several hours ago when he was at the academy.

He wanted to catch it and embrace the sound. Chiaki didn't want to let it go. Each legatos, the diminuendos going at a particular pace – adagio. But who was it that was playing? It was the same as in the afternoon. The same composition he had tried to play for Eto-sensei, but didn't because he had been criticized on by Eto-sensei for putting his frustration on his music.

Still why could this person can play his favorite piece so well and yet at the same time so sloppily? In the distance he thought he could hear the pianist blowing a puff of air, as if the pianist wanted to get the sound out of the system before the melody ended.

And Saiko wasn't here now to stop him from finding out who was playing his favorite Beethoven piece…

"Gah!" Chiaki Shinichi had finally woken up from his dream to what he had to face a disturbing scene.

The apartment. It was a total mess. Chiaki's nose twitched, stepping back and spilling some purple contents from the can he had tripped on. This caused the piano player to stop playing and turn around to look at him.

"Ah, I know who you are now! You're Chiaki-senpai," Nodame said with a goofy grin on her face.

This person, Chiaki thought, flinching at her messy apartment. You mean to tell me that the song I had been searching for was this girl?

"What's wrong, senpai?" Nodame asked innocently.

He had expected the person to be a professional. Clean, tidy, but instead he found Nodame.

And that was how they met.

Fin.

This one-shot takes placed at the first episode where Nodame sees Chiaki when she comes home. Hehe…I love these little inspirations I get sometimes. I can't believe so far it's only been for this anime. Ah, well! I hope you enjoyed it. If there's something you don't understand I'll try to clarify it. Been thinking about too much of midterms lately…